New coaches step in at So. Door, Sturgeon Bay

Two Door County high schools will have new cross country coaches when the season begins in mid-August.

Amy Volkman was hired this week to coach Southern Door, and Matt Luders is going to run Sturgeon Bay’s program on an interim basis.

Volkman, 47, replaces longtime Southern Door coach Josh Pease, who resigned at the end of last school year to take a teaching job in Minnesota. Pease was head of the Eagles’ cross country program for 17 seasons.

Volkman previously helped organize off-season running programs at Southern Door and has been around the cross country team the past three years. Her daughter Chloe will be a senior on this year’s team.

Volkman is excited for her first high school coaching opportunity.

“I put my hat in the ring from the get-go,” she said. “It’s a great group of kids.”

Volkman, who will be assisted by former Southern Door cross country and track standout Liz (Butler) Gilbert, inherits a program that’s had good success in recent years. The Eagles have won three straight Packerland Conference boys championships and four of the past five girls titles.

“I feel that we have a good chance of being successful again this year,” she said. “I have confidence in the kids. They’re all self-motivated enough that I’m confident they’ll be ready when the season starts.”

Luders, 36, was hired at Sturgeon Bay last April to fill in for Jennifer Lasee, who’s expecting a child and is taking a one-year sabbatical from coaching.

Luders has never coached cross country, but he said running is a “big part” of his life. He participates in 5ks, 10ks, marathons and triathlons.

“I talked to Jennifer about (coaching) and it seemed like a pretty good fit,” said Luders.

Luders said he’s been using his five contact days for running sessions in preparation for the first day of practice Aug. 17. He said about six runners have been participating in the 2.5- to 4-mile Tuesday-morning runs.

“It’s just purely to get out and run and build some camaraderie with the team,” he said. “It’s a chance to put some miles on their legs. We’ve had some kids who are on the fence about (joining the team) show up as well to see what it’s about.”

Luders said he’s also coaching Sturgeon Bay’s middle school program this fall.

“At the end of last school year we had a meeting and about 20-some middle-schoolers showed interest, which is obviously a good way to build the high school program,” said Luders.